To ask what you spend at the supermarket on average each week

[Joysmum]

I'm just wondering what everyone else's costs roughly are, for how many people and whether this includes lunches?

Here's how I do it for 1 adult 2 dc and 2 cats on about £65 a week:
£13 on organic fruit veg/box every week
£100 at Sains about every 4 weeks when I spend about £30 on wine to last a month or more
£40 or so at Aldi about every 4 weeks
Top-ups at Sains x 2 per 4 weeks, about £20 a time
£20 or so at the farmers market every 4 weeks for eggs, good meat

This includes all household stuff, cat food,loo roll etc and probably some clothes, presents, etc too. I always buy organic milk and free range eggs/meat. I take lunch to work, dc vary - sometimes one or both having school dinners but I think I might spend an extra £40 a month on the above if both having packed lunch.

I do bulk buy things on offer, esp. non-perishables of course, like loo roll and cat food. Eat little meat, but buy reduced items (on best before day) like mince, chops, etc and freeze them.

I've always tried to budget and live frugally but now it is a necessity - don't think I can save much more without compromising my ethics or selling the dc cats. You will never take my real coffee away!

Things I generally do without now are crisps, nuts, fruit juice, treats/biscuits of any kind.

We are 2 adults, a toddler, a baby and a dog and I don't get much change out of £200 a week.

But I have to buy nappies etc, dog food, and my husband works from home a lot and likes a big lunch!

It's annoying and I should really meal plan and spend less.

My Ocado shop is usually about £75 pw for 2 adults and 2 primary school children. But we do buy most of our meat in bulk (i.e. half a pig, a whole lamb etc,) and that costed out would add another £10 -£15 pw on top. We also have lots of venison/pheasant/other game given free (DH is a farmer) which keeps down the price of protein. DH probably also spends another tenner at the market weekly, buying eggs, butter bacon and some vegetables. (25kg of bananas for a quid....too good a deal to miss).

The Ocado delivery includes all cleaning things, and I meal plan and cook from scratch most of the time. But, I cannot keep up with DH's appetite. His idea of a lunch is 4 slices of bread with fillings, a 500ml pot of yoghurt and a box of cherry bakewells. DS1 is shaping up to be the same way. I make cakes but probably have to bake twice a week and that doesn't always keep up with demand. (and no, they are not overweight, just VERY tall and always hungry). We also buy our alcohol separately.

Don't really know but I'd think around £100 is realistic for 2 adults, 2 teens, with a couple of bottles of wine and other treats - try to go to local LIDL for chocolate with hazelnuts better value, but often pop into even closer Co-op instead

About £60 per week for 2 adults, a 4 year old and a 6 month old. That's not including baby milk and nappies though

I read these threads and just never understand how? Even pre-DC we would do a good £40-£50 in the supermarket plus at least £5-£10 top up a day.

We have three DC and two pets and I would struggle to get it under £150. We don't eat much meat and this doesn't include alcohol, we don't smoke.

Breakfast cereals, fresh produce, healthy snacks, packed lunches for DH five days a week and school age children 3-4 days a week. Things for the freezer, meat for 2-3 meals, quorn, bread, I spend over £6 a week on milk, over £6 a week on squash and at least £5 just on fresh juice (basics too).

I wouldn't say we eat or snack excessively, we do have puddings at all main meals. So wish I could spend less though :(.

I think some people might not be including top ups or extras fairy

• although I know others have a very good idea of what they spend.

But for example I didn't include lunches for DC who always have something at school. DH too goes to canteen at work for lunch.

Around £90-100 each week atm. Usually around £80.
Two adults, two DDs (2 and 4), all meals and wipes and pull ups.

I usually buy lots of fresh fruit and veg, a couple of loaves but it is the meat and fish that cost the most. At the moment I am buying a couple of extras a week for Christmas/New year.

£150 per week for 2 adults and two teenagers ( who eat more than adults). That includes lunch for me and one teenager plus supplies such as coffee, cereal bars for DH to take to work. It also includes about £18 on alcohol, all cleaning stuff, dishwashing capsules, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, hand cream etc. We do eat out most of the weekend.

Around £120 per week for 2 adults, 2 primary aged dc and 2 medium sized dogs. That includes toiletries and cleaning products though. I don't buy bread, I make it plus houmous and cakes/biscuits. DC2 has multiple allergies though, including dairy and this bumps the price up quite considerably because e.g. soya milk is more expensive than cows milk, neither dc can eat pulses, nuts, beans etc so those are out for cheap meals and due to allergies, dc have packed lunches every day.

£140 for 2 adults, 2 children and one cat.

This includes all but 4 lunches, and also includes toiletries and washing powder, cleaning stuff.

This is scary! I seem to spend so much more than some posters :(

We spend about £130 pw for two adults and toddler. This includes lunches and most toiletries.

We eat mostly organic and free range etc. Also lower carb. Most stuff from Tesco. Buy free range chickens from LIDL. Once a month Ocado shop for stuff can't get at Tesco and once a month shop for specific items from online health food store.

I stick to a meal plan and don't seem to be able to get it any lower. Never throw food out etc.

the holidayfairy
I'm assuming the people spending a lot less are not spending money on squash (have water); fruit juice -not a cost effective way of getting your 5 a day-veg is the cheapest way to do that and saves the acid on your teeth;
quorn is cheaper than meat but there are own brand soya based equivalents cheaper still in the freezer section or dried tvp and using dried lentils/pulses even cheaper again.

things for the freezer - are you buying value everything?

Healthy snacks -what are they and are they as cheap as a value carrot or homemade oat biscuit? Or are you sure they're healthy- more sugar in a fruit winder than a value digestive biscuit.

Puddings - value custard/ice cream? Homemade rice pudding? Value frozen berries, use fruit from the reduced section for stuff like banana bread/crumbles. Value plain yoghurt with a bit of value muesli and jam is a popular pudding in our house.

Meat- bacon goes a long way and is cheap, half mince half lentils or soy fools most people, value frozen white fish perfectly nice to make fish pie, fish cakes, or just topped with lemon and breadcrumbs. I don't like sausages but have you seen the price of frozen ones-that was the main way sainsburys managed their feed a family for £50 a week thing. There's a lot of diced turkey thigh in the shops at the moment-fine in a curry.

I don't do half of that by the way - just you wondered how people do it!

About £130-140 per week for two adults, and two children.

But that's with milk, egg, wheat and soy allergies for three out of four.

Onsera3
but you'll never get it cheaper because of all those choices you're making-low carb/organic/free range. If those choices are a high priority, make you happy and you can afford it -then is there a problem?

I don't count. DH does most of shopping but I'm staggered that folks get by on £60. Just poppped to sains. : Spring onions 75p and cotton wool £1.20 - it is just all so expensive and quite frankly I wonder how others manage and we manage if you buy lots of fresh produce.

Cost of living is high right now.

I am embarrassed by 130 pounds per week for two children and one adult. And I rarely buy alcohol. That's packed lunches as well for the kids. It's shocking really. And no, I can't really afford it. I think this is because of the smoked salmon and smoothies (for lunch box) and a huge amount of cleaning stuff. But still. Epic spend compared to most people on here.

I buy mainly organic for the kids. I expect that makes a difference. But I don't eat meat. And the kids don't eat fish. So really baffling.

I spend around £90 a week for 2 adults and 3 kids. That's not including meat (unless its really cheap) as I use the local butcher and can spend around £15 in there a week. Rarely have to top up during the week as I but 2 loaves of bread and freeze one. Oh and I get milk delivered £4.20 a week.
The pet food is also separate as I get it from P@h-averages about £10 a week for 1 cat and 1 dog)

Around £120 pw for 2 adults, 2 primary school children, a hamster and a cat. Includes alcohol, cleaning products, most fruit and veg and all lunches for the week.

Much more the next few weeks though with a party and rellies staying over Christmas.

For the people who never eat out or have takeaways, is it because of the cost, poor value for money, you don't like to or for other reasons? I'm not being rude but am interested.

We eat out on holiday and special occasions only. DH views it as extravagant. Takeaways we get once every couple of months, for the same reason.

I'm impressed (& slightly shamed) by the people that can do shops for a family of 4 for £60-70.

I generally don't get away with less than £100 for 4 of us - 2 adults, 2 kids 4yrs & 1.5yrs + 2 cats. That includes packed lunches for OH, lunches at home for me & kids on non work days, a bit of alcohol (mainly buy wine through wine club/ majestic for better deals). Still includes nappies & wipes as well.

Can't afford it ATM Creamy- though might very occasionally still have a takeway curry. To me it's one of the first things you might think about cutting back on. Did go out with friends recently too for a XMas meal, but those are slightly better value? I can do my own pretty good curry now with help from our local asian corner shop - paratha's and paneer from there are great